Tone arm support assembly for phonographs



Sept 24, 1940- T. M. WRIGHT 2,216,029.

TONE ARM SUPPORT ASSEMBLY FOR PHONOGRAPHS FiledMarch $8, 1959 .2 Sheets -She l II I 0% Sept. 24, 1940. 'r. M. 'WRIGHT 2 Tom ARM SUPPORT ASSEMBLYIIOR rnoaoem'rns Filed March 1 1939 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wmm Patented Sept. 24, 1940 UNITED STATES TONE ARM SUPPORT ASSEMBLY FOR PHONOGRAPHS Theodore M. Wright, North Tonawanda, N. Y., assignor to The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, North Tonawanda, N. Y, a. corporation of Ohio Application March 18, 1939, sci-n1 No. 292,704

9 Claims. 101. 274-15 This invention relates to certain new and use: ful' improvements in automatic phonographs but more particularly to a support assembly for the tone arms thereof.

It has for one of its objects to provide a tone arm support assembly of this character which is so designed as to reliably and positively effect anautomatic adjustment of the tone arm, both vertically and horizontally,t o a predetermined position for playing engagement with the record, as well as the restoration of the arm to-its initial position after a record has been played.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tone arm support assembly which is simple,

compact and inexpensive in construction, reliable in operation, and whose parts are not liable to get out of order.

Other features of the invention reside in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and particularly'pointed out in v the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1- is an elevated view of an automatic selective phonograph showing my improved tone arm support assembly associated therewith. Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the tone arm support assembly in record-play position, the tone arm itself being removed. Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially in the plane of line 3-3, Figure 1, showing the parts in non-play position. Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly in section, of the assem-- bly in non-play position. Figure-5 is a similar view, looking from the opposite side of the as-- 5 sembly with the same in record-play position. Figure 6 is a transverse vertical section taken in the plane of line 6-6, Figure 2; Figure? is a detail longitudinal section taken on line 1---'!, Figure 2. 4 Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts through the several views.

My improved tone arm support assembly has been shown,-by way of example, in connection with an automatic phonograph oi the type shown 4 in the United States Patent No. 2,096,718 granted October 26, 1927, wherein l0 indicates the supporting frame, I I the tone arm which is mounted to swing both vertically and horizontally for movement into and out of playing engagement 50 with the records, and I2 indicates the turntable which is adapted to support the records in stacklike fashion for selective play. In the type of phonograph with which the improved tone arm assembly hasbeen shown, the turntable is adiust- 55 able to various heights to properly position a record in the operating plane of the tone arm, afteri which the record-stack is split above the record selected for play to provide an operating playing clearance for the tone arm.

In the preferred construction of the tone arm 5 assembly shown "in the drawings, it consists of an upright supporting standard or'column I3 about which the tone arm ll swings in a horizontal plane while it is pivoted toswing vertically about a pivot [4 applied to a yoke l5 fixed'on an 10 upright spindle l6 journaled in the standard and seated at its lower end in a step bearing ll, this vertical swinging of the tone arm being provided to bring its needle or stylus into and out of play ing engagement with the record. Carried by the 15 yoke l5 and fulcrumed on its pivot M for governing the raising and lowering movements of the tone arm, is a laterally-swinging brace lever or-lifting bar [8 which turns with the tone arm and which is in bearing contact at the lower end of its inner face with a laterally-displaceable, arcuate-shaped arm I9 which extends partly around the axis of the supporting column l3 and which is fulcrumed for horizontally-swinging movement to an upright bolt 20, the latter having a spring 2| applied thereto and acting on such arm to constantly urge it inwardly or toward the column. 'Rotatably mounted on the lower end of the column is a cam-ring or collar 22 against the periphery of which the contiguous portion of 30 the arm I!) bears to govern the inward and outward displacement of the latter at predetermined times during the turning of the cam-ring. The lower end of the lifting bar l8 overhangs and bears against the outer face of the displaceable and I9, so that the movements of the latter are correspondinglyimparted to said bar to control the elevating movements of. the tone arm. Mounted'on the column adjoining the camfring is a second collar 23 having a recess 24 therein for housing a torsional spring 25, one end of this spring being connected to the cam-ring and its other end being connected to the collar 23, whereby this spring tends to turn the cam-ring 22-.in a counterclockwise direction, viewing Figures 2 and 3, and the second collar 23 in a rclockwise direction. 7

Disposed radially of and fixed adjacent the lower end of the spindle l6 above the cam-ring 22 for moving in unison with the tone arm I I and v erally at 23. This trip mechanism, when actuated, at the end of play of a record, initiates and renders operative the record-changing mecha-' nism of the phonograph to restore the record stack to normal as well as to restore the tone arm to its initial non-play position. During its restoring movement the tone arm is first lifted vertically to bring its stylus clear of the record and then swung horizontally outwardly to a position at one side of the turntable.

The numeral 30 indicates a link adapted to be actuated at predetermined times in the cycle of operations of the record-changing mechanism, such link being connected to a radial lug 3| projecting fromthe cam-ring 22 so that when such link is actuated in one direction it turns the camring in a clockwise direction for adjusting the tone arm into playing engagement with the rec- 'ord, and when such link is actuated in the opposite direction it turns the cam-ring in a counter able within certain limits in a direction generally toward and from the supporting column l3. Projecting from the inner edgeof this plate are longitudinally-spaced lugs 4| and 42, providing a resulting recess 43 between them, and rising from the actuating link 30 is a stud 44 which is adapted to travel in such recess for abutting engagement with one or the other of the plate lugs 4|, 42 to clockwise direction for adjustably' governing the movements of the tone arm to its initial or nonplay position at one side of the turntable. Projecting from the cam-ring and substantially in a radial plane between the trip arm 2'! and the link-attaching lug 3|, is a tappet arm 32 which,

"during the counter-clockwise movement imparted to the cam-ring, is adapted to abut the inner side of the trip arm and cause the tone arm to be swung outwardly therewith to its initial nonplay position. As shown in Figures 1, 4 and 5, the trip arm 21 is downwardly offset so that it is disposed in the path or plane of movement of the tappet arm 32.

Projecting from the collar 23 and disposed at the outer side of the trip arm 21 is a substantially radial arm 33 having a spring-pressed pin or plunger 34 therein with which the trip 'arm abuts in the non-play position of the tone arm, and which pin functions at a predetermined time during the movement of the tone arm to play position to impart a given inward movement to both the trip arm and tone arm. In the nonplay position of the parts shown in Figure 3, the plunger 34 is in its inward position and its spring 34 is under compression and in readiness to impart a given inward movementto the tone arm when called upon to do so. Likewise, in this position of the parts, it will be noted that the tappet arm 32 abuts against one side of the trip arm 21 while'the spring-pressed plunger 34 of the arm 33 abuts against the other side of the trip arm, all of these parts, whenso disposed, being capable. of a unitary movement during predetermined times in the adjusting movements of the t e arm to and from play positions. This relat'i e position of the parts is maintained by the spring 25 acting to urge the cam-ring and collar toward opposite sides of the trip arm.

Mounted on'a supportingrplatform 35 disposed below the collar 23, is an adjustable gauge plate lug 45.

shift the plate in one direction or the other. During the movement of the operating link 30 to the right, viewing Figures 2 and 3, in which direction the link moves when the record-changing mechanism is set in operation for playing a record, its stud 44 travels in the recess 43, during which time the tone arm H, trip arm 21, tappet lug 32, and arm 33 are moved inwardly or clock- Wise, with the movement of these parts being temporarily arrested by'the trip arm stop lug 38 encountering the companion stop 31 on the gauge plate 36. Also rising from the platform 35 in the plane-of movement of the plunger-bearing arm 33, is a stop lug which is so positioned that when the trip arm is arrested during its inward movement by the gauge plate stop 31, the arm 33 at the same time abuts against said stop At a predetermined time in the movement of the link'3ll the stud 44 encounters the lug 42 and shifts the gauge plate inwardly to bring its stop lug 31 clear of the trip arm lug 38 and allow the trip arm to swing inwardly and at the same time swing the tone arm over the marginal edge of the record. When the gauge plate is moved to its aforesaid released position from the trip arm stop 38, the necessary further inward movement of the trip arm and tone arm is effected by the spring-pressed plunger 34, the latter being properly adjusted to impart a final, predetermined movement to such parts which will bring the tone arm stylus from a position over the marginal edge of the record to a position in register with the starting point of the sound groove of the record. At such time, the cam-ring 22 reaches a position to cause the displaceable arm l9 to rock inwardly and. accord- ,ingly displace the lifting bar l8 to effect the lowtone arm during the playing of the record. In

36 which is provided at its inner edge with a stop lug 31.disposed in the path of a companion depending lug 38 formed on the trip arm 2'|,'so that when the tone arm is swung inwardly from nonplay position the stop lug on the trip arm encounters the stop lug on the gauge plate to arrest the tone arm in a predetermined position relativeto the record to be played, such position being substantially one wherein thetone arm stylus or needle is disposed over the marginal ungrooved portion of the record but not ifiposition for proper register with the record sound-groove.

This gaugeplate has a longitudinal slot 39 therein and is freely connected to the platform by screws 40, whereby such plate isadjustably movthis position of the cam-ring, it will be. observed that the displaceable arm I! is in register with the low face of the cam and with its free edge immediately adjoining the high spot of the cam, so that upon the initial inward swing of the cam-' ring imparted by the link 30, such arm is rocked outwardly to elevate the tone arm clear of the record. Thecontinued movement of the cam-' ring causes its tappet lug 32 to abut the trip arm 21 and swing it and the tone arm horizontally to their initial non-play position. At a predetermine'd time in this restoring movement, the trip arm encounters the pin-bearing arm 33 and turns it in a like direction to the position shown in Figure 3, during which time the. spring 25 is strained 'or presetfor the next playing cycle;

I claim as'my invention: 1. In an automatic phonograph, a reproducing meansincluding a tone arm, a standardmn which said'tone arm is mounted to swing horizontally 7i and pivoted to swing vertically into and out of playing engagement with a record, a cam member mounted on said standard for oscillating movement about the swinging axis of the tone arm, means operatively connecting the cam member with an operating part of the phonograph for actuating said cam member at predetermined times in one direction or the other, an operative connection between said cam member and the tone arm for governing the vertical swinging movements of the latter into and out of playing engagement with a record, means operatively connected to and governed by the movements of the cam member for imparting at predetermined times a full restoring stroke to the tone arm in one direction and a partial play-positioning stroke thereto in the opposite direction, releasable means disposed in the path of travel of and for arresting the swinging movement of the tone arm during such partial stroke at a point substantially over the marginal edge of the record,

means operatively engageable with said arresting means and governed by the cam member actuating means for controlling the movement of said arresting means to and from its released po sitioned, and means in bearing contact with and for automatically swinging the tone arm from said partial stroke position, upon the movement of said arresting means to its released position, to a position wherein its stylus is in registration 'with the record sound groove.

2. A ton'e arm mounting for automatic phonographs, comprising a standard on which the tone arm is mounted to swing horizontally-and pivot-- ed to swing vertically into and out of'playing engagement with a record, a second arm. movable horizontally with the tone arm, oscillatory means mounted on'said standard for movementabout the turning axis of the tone arm, means operatively connecting the oscillatory means with an operating part of the phonograph for actuating said oscillatory means at predetermined times in one direction or the other, an operative connection between said oscillatory means'and the tone arm for governing the vertically-swinging movements ofv the latter into and out of playing engagement with a record, 'and complementary members operatively associated with the oscillatory means and engageable with opposite sides of said second arm for controlling the horizontal movements of the tone arm to and from playing position.

3. A tone arm mounting for automatic phonographs, comprising a standard onwhich the tone arm is mounted to swing horizontally and pivoted to swing vertically into and out of playing engagement with a record, a second arm movable horizontally with the tone arm, oscillatory means mounted on said standard for movement about the turning axis of the tone arm, means operatively connecting the oscillatory meanswith an operating part of the phonograph for actuating said oscillatory means at predetermined times in one direction or the other, an operativec'onnection between said oscillatory means and the tone arm for governing the vertically-swinging movements of the latter into and out of playing engagement with a record, and complementary members operatively associated with the oscillatory means and engageable with opposite sides of said second arm for controlling the horizontal movements of the tone arm to and from playing position, one of said arm-engaging members being movable into operative engagement with said arm when the oscillatory means is actuated in a direction to swing the tone arm to a nonplay position and receding from engagement with such arm when the oscillatory means is actuated in the opposite direction, the companion armengaging member including a relatively movable motion-transmitting element for predeter-v mining the movement of such second arm in a direction to position the tone arm for starting .playing engagement with the record."

4. A tone arm mounting for automatic phonographs, comprising a standard on which the tone arm is mounted to swing horizontally and pivoted to swing vertically into and out of playing ention or the other to bring its companion element to and from abutting engagement with said second arm to swing the tone arm from the end of its play position to non-play position and permit its movement to play position, respectively, and means connected to the other of said oscillatory members for yieldingly urging it in a direc tion to bring its companion element into abutting, engagement with said second arm and to swing the tone arm from non-play to play position.

5. A tone arm mounting for automatic phonograph comprising a standard on which the tone arm is mounted to swing horizontally and pivoted to swing vertically into and out of playing engagement with a record, a second arm movable horizontally with the tone arm, relatively movable oscillatory members mounted onvsaid standard for movement alrout the turning axis of the tone arm and having companion elements radiating therefrom for abutting. engagement with opposite sides of said second arm, means adapted for connection to an actuatable part of the phonograph and operatively connected to one of said oscillating members for actuating it in one directionor the other to bring its companion element to and from abutting engagement with said second arm to swing the tone arm from the end of connected to the other of said oscillatory members for yieldingly urging it in a direction to bring its companion element into abutting engagement with said second arm and to swing the tone arm from non-play to play position, and an operative connection between one of said oscillatory members and the tone arm for governing the vertical swinging movements of the latter at predetermined times in the oscillating strokes of such member.

6.' A tone arm mounting for automatic phonographs, comprising a standard on which the tone arm is mounted to swing horizontally and pivoted to swing vertically into and out of playing engagement with a record; a second arm movable horizontally with the tone arm, yieldinglyconne'cted oscillatory members mounted on said standard for relative movement about the turning axis of the tone arm and having companion elements radiating therefrom for abutting engagement with opposite sides 01 said second arm,

part of the phonograph and operatively connected to one of said oscillatory members for actuating it in one direction or the other and for governing the swinging movements of the tone arm, means disposed in the path of movement of said second arm for releasably limiting its movement and that of the tone arm in a predetermined position over the marginal edge of the record, and means applied to the companion element of the other oscillatory member and engageable with said second arm for automatically swinging it in a direction, when released, to bring the tone arm to a position wherein its stylus registers with the starting playing groove of the record.

7. A tone arm mounting for automatic phono graphs, comprising a standard on which the tone arm is mounted to swing horizontally and pivoted to swing vertically into and out of playing engagement with a record, a second arm movable horizontally with the tone arm, yieldingly-connected oscillatory members mounted on said standard for relative movement about the turning axis of the tone arm and having companion elements radiating therefrom for abutting engagement with opposite sides of said second arm, means adapted for connection to an actuatable part of the phonograph and operatively connected to one of said oscillatory members for actuating it in one direction or the other for governing at predetermined times a full restoring stroke to the tone arm in one direction and a partial play-positioning stroke thereto in the opposite direction, adjustably-movabl'e means dis-' posed in the path of movement of said second arm for releasably arresting the swinging of the tone arm during such .partial stroke at a point substantially over the marginal edge of the record, means governed by said actuating means and operatively connected to said arresting means for controlling its movement to and from released position, and spring-urged means applied to the companion element of the other oscillatory member and engageable with said second arm for automatically swinging it in a direction, when released, to bring the tone arm in a position wherein its stylus registers with the .starting playing groove of the record.

8. A tone arm mounting for automatic phonographs, comprising a standard on which the tone arm is mounted to swing horizontally and pivoted overhanging bearing to swing vertically into and out of playing engagement with a record, a second arm movable horizontally with the tone arm,-oscillatory members mounted on said standard for relative movement about the turning axis of the tone arm and having companion elements radiating therefrom for abutting engagement with opposite sides of said second arm, a spring connected to said members and normally urging them in opposite directions to bring their companion elements toward opposite sides of said second arm, means operatively connected to one of said oscillatory members for actuating it in one direction or the other, shii'table stop means disposed in the path of movement of said second arm for arresting it at a predetermined position during the inward swing of the tone arm to play position, means operatively engageable with said arresting means and governed by 'saidactuating means for controlling the shifting of said stop means to and from its released position, a stop disposed in the path of movement of theradial element of the other oscillating member for limiting its movement during the inward swing of the tone arm and a spring-pressed follower mounted in said lastnamed radial element and engageable with said secondarm for automatically swinging the latter inwardly, upon the release of said arresting means, to bring the tone arm into a, radial position wherein its stylus registers with the starting playing groove of the record.

9. A tone arm mounting for automatic phonographs, comprising a standard on which the tone arm is mounted to swing horizontally and pivoted to swing vertically into and out of playing engagement with a record, a cam member mounted on-said standard for oscillating movement'a'bout the swinging axis of the tone arm, means for actuating said cam member at predetermined times in one direction or the other, a horizontally-swinging arm disposed alongside said cam member and having a spring applied thereto for constantly urging it in operative bearing engagement with said cam member, and a verticallyswinging brace bar operatively connected at one end with the tone arm and at its other end in contact with said cam-en'-' 

